The Lioness and the Puppy Dog
by Black Acid Dragon
Summary: [Very old fic, not an accurate representation of current writing ability][JoeyMai] Joey, Yugi, and Mai are all invited to a prestigious party, which triggers an unexpected chain of events between Joey and Mai.
1. Chapter One: The Party

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.  
  
I'm horrible at titles. I know this one is kinda random. In case you couldn't figure it out, the lioness is Mai and the puppy dog is Joey. But it really doesn't have any direct meaning in the story. I'm just weird like that.  
  
I'm telling you right now, this is a Joey & Mai romance flick, so if you don't like romance then don't read it, 'kay? And my stories tend to start pretty slow. Sorry about that. _  
  
~~~  
  
Chapter 1: The Party  
  
Joey stared at himself in the mirror.  
  
"I feel stupid," he whined.  
  
"Joey, you look fine!" Yugi cried, "Now come on, we're going to be late!"  
  
"But I'm not used to wearing a suit... Besides, isn't it fashionable to be a little late to a party?"  
  
"It started twenty minutes ago!"  
  
"Oops... Uh, what are you waiting for, let's go!"  
  
Yugi and Joey raced downstairs, and as they did Yugi called, "Bye mom! I'm going to the party!" He didn't even wait for a response before the two of them ran outside and found Yugi's grandpa already in the car, waiting for them. They got in and Yugi's grandpa immediately started up the car and drove off.  
  
As they sat in the car, Joey turned to Yugi.  
  
"So, uh, where are we going again?" he asked.  
  
"To a party," Yugi replied, "It's a special event that a bunch of top-rate duelists from around the world were invited to."  
  
"Oh, right, I remember now. Uh..."  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Well, it's just... the invitation said you could bring a date... what if we're the only people that don't have one?"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it won't be like that."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
Just then they arrived at the front of a large mansion. Yugi's grandpa dropped them off, and they headed towards the door. A man holding a clipboard stopped them at the entrance.  
  
"Names," the doorman inquired in a bored voice.  
  
"Yugi Moto."  
  
"Joey Wheeler."  
  
The doorman flipped a few pages on his clipboard, checked something off, then flipped a few more pages and make another check. Then he looked back up at them.  
  
"Both of you alone?" he asked in the same monotone voice.  
  
Joey flinched and Yugi nodded. The doorman lazily opened the door and held it for them as they entered.  
  
The mansion was huge (as mansions tend to be). Where they entered faced a large double staircase up to a balcony that went all the way around the gigantic room, which was big enough for several thousand people. Several long snack tables were set near the walls, and quite a few tables for people to sit at. There were people everywhere. They were packed in the huge room, sitting at the tables, standing on the balcony, and even chatting on the stairs.  
  
"So... now what?" Joey asked, looking around the room.  
  
"Let's go on the balcony!" Yugi suggested, pointing to the double staircase.  
  
After pushing their way through several crowds of people, Yugi and Joey finally got to the top of the balcony. Yugi was looking through the railing and Joey was leaning against it, lazily scanning the scene. The room didn't look much different from above.  
  
Suddenly Joey perked up and pointed into the crowd below.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Mai?" he asked excitedly.  
  
Yugi followed where he was pointing and spotted a blonde in a red dress.  
  
"Hey, I think it is!" Yugi replied, "Let's go say hi!"  
  
Joey got several angry shouts as he shoved his way past in his anxiousness to get to where Mai was before she moved, and Yugi had a hard time keeping up.  
  
Joey stopped only a few feet away from Mai. She had her back turned, and didn't know he was there. He sneered, snuck up behind her, then threw his arms around her, screaming, "GOTCHA!"  
  
THWACK!  
  
"OW!"  
  
Joey let go and jumped back in surprise as he was hit in the face by Mai's purse. Mai whipped around and gasped when she saw him.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Joey!" she cried, though obviously containing laughter, "I didn't know it was you!"  
  
"That's fine," Joey muttered, rubbing his nose miserably.  
  
Yugi finally made it over to them, panting a bit. "Hey Mai!" he said cheerfully.  
  
"Hey Yugi!" she replied happily. Then she looked back and forth between both of them and said in a mocking voice, "My, don't you two look cute all dressed up?"  
  
"Shut up," Joey snapped, but there was no real anger in his voice.  
  
Before she could respond, a gruff voice said, "These guys givin' you a hard time?"  
  
A tall, sleek, disgustingly handsome man came from the direction of the snack tables, holding a wine glass. He put his arm around Mai and looked Yugi and Joey over. Joey felt his skin crawl.  
  
Mai laughed. "No, no, these are my friends. That's Joey and that's Yugi."  
  
"Hey," the man said in a voice that was obviously trying too hard to sound cool, "The name's Chris."  
  
Chris extended his hand out to Joey. Joey crossed his arms and glared at him.  
  
"O...kay..." Chris responded, and instead offered his hand to Yugi, who shook it politely.  
  
"It's been nice seeing you again," Mai said cheerfully, apparently unaware of Joey's indignation, "But Chris and I have a table over there, and we need to get back to it before someone takes it. See you around, 'kay?"  
  
While Mai was talking, Chris had leaned over and was smelling her hair. Joey twitched.  
  
"Bye!" Yugi said as they walked away. Then he turned to Joey. "Hey, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving!"  
  
***  
  
Joey was sitting at a small table across from Yugi, glaring into his punch glass.  
  
"What's wrong?" Yugi asked casually as he chomped on a carrot.  
  
Mai and Chris were sitting only a few tables away, and just then he heard them laugh about something. Joey tightened his grip on his glass so hard that it threatened to break.  
  
"I don't like him," Joey snapped shortly.  
  
Yugi blinked. "Who?" he asked, then saw Chris out of the corner of his eye. "Oh. Well, I dunno. He seems nice enough to me."  
  
Joey snorted. "Sure, they all seem nice. But... I dunno... I just have a bad feeling about him."  
  
"Are you sure you're not just jealous?"  
  
Joey rounded on Yugi so fast that his chair nearly toppled over. Yugi lifted his hands and shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Nevermind!" he cried.  
  
Joey went back to staring miserably into his punch.  
  
Suddenly there was an announcement from a loud speaker, and people in the middle of the room started clearing out.  
  
"What was that?" Joey asked, looking around.  
  
"I have no idea," Yugi admitted, "I couldn't hear a word of it."  
  
As people began moving to the edge, it became clear that in the middle of the room was a dance floor. The lights dimmed, music started playing, and couples began walking out onto the floor. To Joey's disgust, Mai and Chris left their seats and headed out with them. He turned away and gulped down his punch.  
  
***  
  
One hour and seven glasses of punch later, Joey was still sulking at the table. Yugi was starting to get annoyed, because every time he tried to cheer him up or start a conversation Joey would end it quickly and go back to being unhappy.  
  
"Maybe you'd feel better if you danced?" Yugi suggested hopefully.  
  
"With who?" Joey snarled, "In case you haven't noticed, neither one of us has a date."  
  
"Well, find a girl that doesn't have one either and ask her."  
  
"Naw, that's okay," Joey mumbled, going from angry back to depressed, "I don't really feel like dancing anyway. Listen, I'm gonna go walk around for a while, okay? Clear my head, you know?"  
  
Yugi nodded, and Joey got up and left. He started heading towards the door, hoping that getting away from the crowds of happy people would help. {Geez, what's wrong with me?} Joey thought to himself bitterly as he walked, {That Chris guy really didn't do anything wrong. And why am I obsessing over it? Maybe Yugi's right. I really am jealous. It just seems so unfair... Mai an I have been through so much together, and then this random guy just shows up...}  
  
Joey suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked across the room, the opposite direction he had just come from. Sitting at a table in the corner was Mai. Alone. And it was hard to tell from that distance, but she certainly didn't look happy.  
  
Joey quickly changed direction and in a few minutes he was only a few tables away from her. There he stopped. It was now obvious that she was crying. A pang of emotion swept through Joey that started as sympathy but quickly grew to anger. {That stupid jerk Chris!} he thought to himself, practically growling, {I knew it, I just knew it!}  
  
Joey's anger subsided again as he watched Mai at the table. He had no idea what to do. He had never been good at these kinds of situations. Then he thought of what Yugi had suggested, and he could not help but smile as he walked the rest of the way over to her.  
  
Joey stopped right next to Mai and held out his hand. She jumped, obviously startled by his appearance. She looked at his hand and then up at him. He smiled weakly.  
  
"Wh-What do you w-want?" Mai stuttered, wiping her eyes on a napkin.  
  
"Dance?" Joey asked hopefully.  
  
Mai looked rather surprised for a moment, then she returned his weak smile. She nodded, accepted his hand, and allowed him to help her up and lead her out onto the dance floor.  
  
The song that was currently playing was for swing dancing. Mai laughed as Joey twirled her.  
  
"I had no idea you could dance," she mused.  
  
As she finished the spin, Joey pulled her up to him. "I'm just full of surprises," he replied, grinning.  
  
Mai laughed again.  
  
It wasn't long before the song was over. The music switched drastically. It was a slow song.  
  
Joey looked around uncertainly, but Mai went along with it. She placed her arms around his neck and brought herself close to him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Joey blushed, and for a moment didn't move out of shock. As soon as he recovered Joey wrapped his arms around her and held her gently as he moved in time with the music.  
  
Suddenly, and for no reason that Joey could see, Mai pulled away. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes again.  
  
"I-I'm s-sorry!" she stammered before turning and running off the dance floor.  
  
"WAIT!" Joey tried to run after her, but he quickly lost her in the crowds of people. All he could do was stand and look helplessly at the spot where she had disappeared.  
  
~~~  
  
Eh-heh, that ended up longer than I intended it too. Oh well. Yeah, so, please review! Compliments, criticism, flames, suggestions; whatever, it's all good! ^_^  
  
And this is just the first chapter, remember. The story is nowhere near complete. ^_~ 


	2. Chapter Two: Under the Stars

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. If I did, this wouldn't be fanfiction, now would it?  
  
Yay, I'm happy people like my story! ^_^ Thanks to you awesome people who reviewed! This next chapter is for you and all those freaky lurkers who read my story but didn't review it (you people scare me O_o I feel like I'm being watched).  
  
I just started school and I'm in the process of moving into a new house, so don't expect lightning-quick updates. But I found the time to make a new chapter, so here it is!  
  
Just so you know, it's an incredibly low-key, non-action chapter, and is basically just dialogue. If you like action stories you should probably go read something else.  
  
~~~  
  
Chapter 2: Under the Stars  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" Téa asked, a bit concerned.  
  
Joey shook his head, disregarding the burger he had barely touched.  
  
"Wow," Tristan teased, "This must be serious!"  
  
Tristan earned himself a death glare.  
  
"Well," Yugi interrupted before a fight could break out, "Is there anything we can do?"  
  
"Maybe... you should talk to her?" Téa suggested timidly.  
  
By now Téa and Tristan had been informed of everything that happened at the party the night before. After Mai had left, Joey had refused to do anything but sit at the table. Expect when Yugi got cornered by a bunch of fans on his way to the snack table and Joey had to rescue him.  
  
Joey stared at his burger as he answered her question. "I would if I had any idea where she is. She doesn't live around here, remember? She was probably just here for the party. For all I know, she could be in France by now."  
  
"Oh..." Téa muttered.  
  
There was a moment of awkward silence, until Joey broke it by pushing away his plate and standing up.  
  
"It's getting late," he said, "And I've still got some homework to do and stuff."  
  
Joey's friends said goodbye, and he walked out of Burger World into the night.  
  
***  
  
Joey stood out in the middle of the deserted Domino Park, marking something on a piece of paper. He nearly had a heart attack when he heard someone behind him say, "Hey."  
  
"Geez, don't scare me like that!" Joey snapped as he whipped around. But then he jumped again when he saw who it was. "Mai?!"  
  
Sure enough, there stood Mai, not looking much different than the last time he saw her. She gave him a tired smile.  
  
"I... I thought you left!" Joey stammered, still in shock.  
  
Mai's smile faded and she turned her eyes to look at the ground. "I was going to... but... I just..."  
  
Joey was dumbfounded. He had wanted so badly to speak with her, but now that she was here he could not think of anything to say. For a long while neither of them said anything. Then Mai's eyes went to the paper Joey was holding, and she looked up at him.  
  
"What are you doing anyway?" she asked.  
  
"Huh?" Joey said as he snapped out of his trance, "Oh, this. Just some stupid science homework."  
  
"What do you have to do?"  
  
Joey held up his paper, cleared his throat, and read in a bored voice, "'Find, sketch, and identify five stellar constellations. Be sure to label each.'"  
  
"What do you have so far?"  
  
"The Big Dipper."  
  
Mai laughed. "Maybe I can help you."  
  
She sat down on the grass where she stood, then lay down on her back, her hands behind her head. Joey watched her for a moment before following her example.  
  
After a few seconds of silence, Joey finally worked up the courage to talk to her about what he had been meaning to.  
  
"Um... Mai?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I was just wondering... you know... about last night... what happened... between you and... you know..."  
  
"Oh. That." There was obvious malice in Mai's voice. "The wonderful Chris ran into an old girlfriend, and apparently decided he liked her better than me. The two of 'em ditched me and left the party."  
  
"Oh... I'm sorry..."  
  
"Don't be. He's a jerk. Just before that he tried to get me to go back to his hotel room with him."  
  
Mai went into silent thought for a moment before continuing.  
  
"It seems so stupid doesn't it? How we'll continue to give up our hearts for someone even though it always ends up broken in the end. I'm not even sure it's worth it anymore."  
  
"Someday it will be. You'll see. When you finally give your heart to someone who won't break it, you'll understand what it was all for."  
  
"But how will I know when I've given it to the right person?"  
  
"If I knew I'd be rich."  
  
Mai smiled. "I suppose you're right."  
  
Joey decided it was as good a time as any to ask what he had really wanted to know.  
  
"There was... something else I wanted to ask you..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Why did you... run away like that?"  
  
She sighed. "I... don't quite understand myself. I guess I got scared."  
  
"You were scared of me?"  
  
Mai laughed. "Not exactly. It's hard to explain. Ever since my parents died when I was little, I've always sort of pushed everyone away. I guess I've been afraid of losing someone else important. I figured if I never got close to anyone, I would never have to worry about it again."  
  
"But being with other people is what makes life worth it!"  
  
"I know. I know it's stupid. But I was so young then. I hated being lonely, but I managed to convince myself that I was better off that way. Even though... I have friends now... I can't help still feeling that way. It's not easy to change a belief you've had your entire life. And... last night... I suddenly realized how close I was getting to you. That's what scared me. I panicked. Running was all I could think of to do."  
  
Joey stared up at the sky, listening intently to everything Mai said. There were so many things he wanted to say to her... about how much he wanted to be close to her... that he would never let her be lonely again... But he was afraid he would end up sounding stupid. So he remained silent.  
  
A shooting star streaked across the sky, and this apparently inspired Mai to start a new topic.  
  
"I had a dream last night," she said amusedly.  
  
"I have those a lot."  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Now you wanna hear what it was?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Okay." Mai dropped her sarcastic tone and her voice took on a much darker note. "...All I could see was darkness. There was nothing around me. I stumbled through the choking blackness, calling out in hopes that someone would find me. But there was nothing save the crushing silence. I felt like I was wandering forever. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I broke down, collapsing onto the ground and beginning to cry. Then I heard a noise, a sort of whimper, and looked up to see two glowing red eyes in the darkness. The creature that had made the noise moved toward me, and soon I could see what it was. The Red Eyes Black Dragon."  
  
For the first time since he had laid down in the grass, Joey moved his gaze from the stars and looked over at Mai. She had tears in her eyes.  
  
"It... stopped just in front of me," Mai continued, "And just stared at me for a moment. Then he brought his wings forward and he... he wrapped them around me... protecting me from the darkness, the loneliness... and for the first time I felt... safe..."  
  
Mai closed her eyes and allowed a single tear to fall down her cheek.  
  
Joey was about to speak, but before he had the chance she opened her eyes, looked over at him and spoke again.  
  
"It's late. Don't you have school tomorrow?"  
  
"What are you my- Ah, crap!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, man... I forgot I have this big, stupid test tomorrow in math. I was supposed to study tonight... I'm so screwed..."  
  
"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think."  
  
"No, you don't understand! I don't get any of it! And my teacher told me if I fail one more test, I fail the class!"  
  
"Um... Sorry..."  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault I'm a moron."  
  
"You're not-"  
  
"Ugh, I have to go."  
  
It was Joey's turn to run away, leaving Mai sitting in the grass, wishing she hadn't brought up the subject.  
  
~~~  
  
Yeah, so there you go. I told you it was dialogy (made up word). Hope I didn't bore ya too much.  
  
I know the thing about the math test was pretty random, but it has a significance.  
  
So anyway, please review! ^_^ Whatever you have to say, feel free to say it! 


	3. Chapter Three: Skipping Out

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. If you thought I did, seek professional help.  
  
Yay, I found time to make another chapter! ^_^ Once again, thanks to you awesome people who review! An authoress likes to feel appreciated.  
  
Alright, I know absolutely nothing about Japanese school systems, so I'm just following an American one.  
  
~~~  
  
Chapter 3: Skipping Out  
  
Joey stared at his desk miserably, feeling like the whole world was against him. He looked up and felt impending doom as his teacher began passing out the blank tests. Everyone around him looked so calm and unconcerned that it made him feel all the worse. The teacher was getting closer now... he was handing a test to the kid next to Joey... {This is it,} Joey bemoaned, {Time to stumble through another test I don't understand.}  
  
Just before the teacher handed Joey his paper, a student walked in the door. The student handed a small slip of paper to the teacher, waved to a kid in the class, then walked out. The teacher glanced over the paper and looked down at Joey.  
  
"You'll have to make up the test on Monday," he said a bit reproachfully.  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"You're being checked out."  
  
The teacher handed the slip of paper to Joey, who gaped at it in shock. It was a check-out slip.  
  
It felt like a miracle to Joey. He had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't about to argue. He slung his backpack onto his back and left the classroom, stopping at the door to smirk at the indignant students who didn't want to take the test.  
  
As Joey walked toward the front of the school, he suddenly realized that he had nowhere to go. He was just pondering this when he turned a corner into the parking lot where he stopped in shock. There, leaning casually against her blue convertible, was Mai. She had a meschievious grin, and she waved him over.  
  
Joey quickly ran the rest of the way and stopped just in front of her. The situation finally connected itself in his head.  
  
"Did you check me out?!"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"You can do that?"  
  
Mai's smile widened and she winked at him. "I'm 24. I can do whatever I want." She then turned to her car and opened the passenger door, motioning toward it.  
  
Joey realized that she wanted him to get in and he stared at her quizzically.  
  
"You got something better to do?" she asked amusedly.  
  
Joey took her point and followed her request, sitting in the front passenger seat and tossing his backpack in the back. She closed the door behind him and walked around to the driver side. She got in, started up the car, and pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
"So... where are we going?" Joey questioned.  
  
Mai shrugged. "I dunno. Anywhere. Everywhere. Got any ideas?"  
  
"Um... arcade?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
***  
  
After spending several hours at the arcade (at the end of which Joey accused Mai of cheating because he claimed it was the only way anyone could beat him at air hockey eight times in a row) the two of them headed to the mall for lack of anything better to do. By the time they were through messing with the demos in an electronics store and setting off all the talking toys in a children's store it was late evening and both of them were hungry.  
  
"So, we gonna get something to eat?" Joey asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure. Might as well push it the rest of the way and make it a real date."  
  
"You know, technically a date could be any kind of outing."  
  
"Don't try to sound smart. It doesn't suit you."  
  
"Hey, what was that supposed to mean?!"  
  
"Don't think too hard about it. You might hurt yourself."  
  
Joey turned away and crossed his arms, pouting, and Mai sported a triumphant grin.  
  
***  
  
By the time they arrived at Burger World, Joey was finished pouting and looked plenty ready to eat. They sat down in a booth near the window and ordered there food. There was a few seconds of awkward silence until Joey spoke.  
  
"...What's wrong with me?"  
  
The question was so random and unexpected that Mai could only stare at him in confusion. Joey looked down and stared at the table, feeling heat creep up into his cheeks as he realized how stupid that must have sounded.  
  
"N-no, I mean, last night you said that thing about... being afraid to get close to me... and I though I understood it then, but then I was thinking... When you were with that Chris guy, you certainly didn't seem to mind him getting 'close' to you. So, uh, is there just something about me?"  
  
"...There's nothing wrong with you, Joey. On the contrary... When I said 'close,' I meant more... emotionally than physically. I never really cared about him. I guess I was just trying to compensate for something I felt like I was missing."  
  
"Then why were you so upset when he left?"  
  
"It's still no fun being abandoned. And it's not the first time I've been left behind. It was more bad memories than anything else."  
  
"Oh... well, you should be more careful next time. You deserve someone better than him."  
  
A wry smile stretched across Mai's lips as she said in her signature mocking voice, "And who do you think would be better for me? An immature high school kid who can't even pass his pre-Algebra class?"  
  
Joey looked up from the table to glare at her. {Man, why does she always have to do that? She's all sweet one moment and then she's putting me down the next. I wish she'd make up her mind.}  
  
"Well, um, I'm not... That's not... My birthday's in two months you know!" Joey could have hit himself. {What kind of dumb argument was that?!}  
  
"Mine's in a week."  
  
"...Really?"  
  
"Well, six days actually. November 20."  
  
"...I didn't know that..."  
  
"Nobody does."  
  
Just then the waitress came with their food. Joey was too busy scarfing down his burger and Mai was too busy pretending she didn't know him for any more conversation to take place. When they were both finished Mai paid for the food and they left the restaurant.  
  
It was now completely night and rather cold outside. As they were walking towards Mai's car, Mai felt herself shiver. She looked over at Joey, who seemed completely oblivious. She deliberately made herself shiver harder, but he was idly kicking rocks that he passed and watch cars go by.  
  
"I'm cold," Mai said pointedly.  
  
Joey looked over at her. "Um, I'm sorry."  
  
Mai rolled her eyes. {Geez, this guy is slow!} "You know, a gentleman would give a lady his coat."  
  
Joey smirked. "If I see a lady I'll give her my coat. Besides, do I look like a gentleman to you?"  
  
Mai turned away and muttered something Joey couldn't hear. Joey shook his head.  
  
"Fine, if you want it so badly, here!" He tore off his coat and threw it at her. She caught and put it on.  
  
"Thanks," she muttered sarcastically.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Joey whined, "Now I'm cold!"  
  
It was Mai's turn to smirk at him. "It sucks to be the guy, doesn't it?"  
  
Just then they arrived at her car. Mai drove Joey home, in relative silence. She stopped the car in front of his apartment building, but as he was getting out she called him back.  
  
"What is it?" Joey asked, already standing outside of the car holding the door open.  
  
"I just thought you might want to know... tomorrow I'm taking a plane to America. There's a tournament thing going on. The flight leaves at 6:10 in the morning, so this is probably the last chance I'll have to say goodbye."  
  
Joey looked taken aback. {Why didn't she mention this sooner?} "Well, um, when are you coming back?"  
  
Mai hung her head. "...I don't know if I am. I mean, I don't really have any reason too..."  
  
Joey felt his temper rising. "What do you mean you don't have any reason?! What did we just... I mean, what about... why did you... Isn't being with someone you care about enough reason to go anywhere?!"  
  
Mai didn't say anything, which just upset Joey further.  
  
"FINE!" he screamed, "I hope you never come back!"  
  
He slammed the car door so loudly that several people looked out there windows to see what all the fuss was about. Joey didn't care. He stormed away toward his apartment, not even sure himself why he had gotten so angry.  
  
Mai watched him leave, and as she did she muttered to herself, "Good, then I won't!"  
  
But the more she tried to be mad at him, the worse she felt. Her vision blurred as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, and she drove away feeling lower than she ever had in her life.  
  
~~~  
  
What a cheery way to end a chapter. Anyway, please review! I take any kind. ^_^  
  
And, um, Joey didn't leave his backpack in her car. I just, er, didn't mention him taking it out. That's it. 


	4. Chapter Four: It's Not Too Late

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. If I did, Red Eyes Black Dragon would be the most powerful card in the game.  
  
Whoever said "high school is the best four years of your life" was lying. It's sapping all my time.  
  
Yay for the people who review, I love you all! ^_^ Let me just take a moment to talk to a few of you:  
  
Red Roses2 - Wow, you were the first to review on all of my chapters! Thanks, you rock! :)  
  
vampireofthedark - Heh, yeah I know, Kaiba is one of my ultimate favorite characters too. If you can think of a practical way to work him into the story I'd love to hear it.  
  
video vamp - Hey, don't mock the predictability of my fic. :P Heheh, just kiddin'. I know it's all in good fun.  
  
Chikorita-Trainer - Heheh, is that so? Funny, I've never even heard The Lion Kind soundtrack!  
  
JAMO - Yeah, I hear ya. Thing is I'm just no good at depth. I can picture it, I just can't describe it. Every time I write something down it ends up with this fringe of humor, so I've just sort of begun to give into it. It's just my writing style.  
  
Just a couple more notes: The rating is PG now because of incredibly mild swearing. I thought I should raise it just in case. And if you've never seen Joey swear (or should I say Jounouchi), you've obviously never seen the Japanese anime.  
  
Sorry if the point of view of my fic confuses you. It's third person limited omniscient, which means that the story is told in third person but you can hear the thoughts of several characters. Basically it follows Joey unless it suits me to switch over to Mai.  
  
Okay, now on with the show! Oh, and the original idea for this chapter didn't contain anything "fluffy," but I kinda got in this mental state so that's how it turned out.  
  
And for those of you who didn't read the above, FLUFF ALERT! Though it's actually more cheese. Ah, whatever. Just read it.  
  
~~~  
  
Chapter 4: It's Not Too Late  
  
Joey stared blankly at the clock by his bed. 3:15 AM. He lay down and closed his eyes, but it was no use. He kept replaying what had happened over and over in his head, and every time he felt worse.  
  
{What the hell is wrong with me?!} he scolded himself, {Why'd I have to freak out like that?! What if she listens to me? What if... she really doesn't come back? All I know is that she's going to be somewhere in America, and who knows where she'll go after that... If she never comes back, I'll probably never see her again...}  
  
Joey curled up and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself not to think about that. It hurt too much.  
  
He knew the only way he could rid himself of his guilt was to talk to her. But there was no way he could...  
  
{...Unless I catch her at the airport. Wait, that's it! I'll just go to the airport and talk to her before she leaves! Yeah, that's what I'll do, but I'll have to get there early just to make sure I find her in time...} With this new idea came a temporary relief from his guilt, and he drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
  
Joey reached over and smacked the snooze button on his alarm without even opening his eyes. He then rolled over to face the wall, trying to cling to sleep.  
  
{No... I don't wanna go to school...}  
  
He slowly came back to consciousness, and with it returned his memories of the night before. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up to look at his clock. 5:30.  
  
"Ah, hell!" he cried as he jumped off his bed and started rummaging through his clothes on the floor for something to wear.  
  
{God, I'm so stupid! I can't believe I fell asleep! Her flight leaves at 6:10! She'll already be on the plane by the time I get there!}  
  
Joey found a shirt and pants that didn't look too dirty and threw them on. He then ran out of his room, put on his shoes without even tying them, grabbed his dad's keys from the table, and dashed out the door. Quickly locating his dad's car in its parking space he jumped in and stuck the key in the ignition. He knew he would get in big trouble later for taking it without permission, but at this point he didn't care. He turned the key. The engine started to rev up, then died.  
  
"Come on... come on..." Joey begged as he tried turning the key several more times, with no luck.  
  
"START YOU STUPID PIECE OF-" The engine lurched and started up, and Joey gave a slight sigh of relief before pulling out of the apartment parking lot, a little faster than would normally be considered safe.  
  
Joey swore every time he had to stop for a red light or a pedestrian, and he was seriously considering running over a man crossing the street who was taking a little too long. Finally he got to the airport. He glanced down at the car clock. 5:45. Not wanting to waste any time parking, he came to a screeching halt in the pick up/drop off section and jumped out of the car, nearly getting run over as he ran in between the other vehicles. As soon as he got in the door, he frantically looked around until he saw a huge light- up board with all of the flights. Scanning the times and destinations, he spotted one that looked promising: San Francisco, 6:10. He quickly memorized the gate number and dashed off in the direction of the gate, ignoring the stares of people as he knocked over a garbage can on his way.  
  
Joey arrived at the gate and stopped, panting. There was a long line of people waiting to board. And at the front of that line was Mai.  
  
"MAI!" Joey called, but it was no use. She had already handed over her ticket and was gone.  
  
Mai walked slowly down the suspended pathway toward the door of the plane, her mind working furiously. She had awoken that morning feeling bitter and distressed, and the feeling had never left her. Events replayed themselves in her head, ones from as far back as Duelist Kingdom and as recent as the night before. She was almost in a trance, scarcely noticing anyone around her or what she was doing. She must have really been out of it; she even thought she had heard Joey call her name a few seconds ago.  
  
Joey. Of course, all the memories she now pictured were about him. {"I hope you never come back!"} The last words he has said to her echoed menacingly in her mind. She frowned and bit her lip. {I'll show him,} she thought determinedly. {I'll make him regret saying that. I won't come back. Ever. I don't need anyone. I lived alone my whole life, I've proved I can do it. I'll be perfectly fine even if I never see him again.}  
  
Never see him again. The full reality of this finally sank in, causing Mai to stumble as she walked. To never see him again, never feel him again, never hear his laugh, see him smile... A sickening feeling crept through Mai, like nothing she had ever felt before. She had the sudden need to cry.  
  
But she wouldn't cry. Not here, not in public. Not where people could see her, judge her. She'd suck it up, hold it in. Like she always had.  
  
"SECURITY!"  
  
Mai's thoughts were broken when someone from the direction she had just come yelled the word. She turned around and could only watch in shock as someone shoved past the ticket lady and came running down the path towards her. The perpetrator of the act spotted her and stopped about ten feet away.  
  
Mai could only stare blankly. It couldn't be him, there was no way... He had told her to leave, he had commanded it... Yet there he was, staring back at her, looking as surprised as she must have. There was a few second's stunned silence, during which time several people boarding the plane stopped to watch in fascination, sensing something interesting would happen.  
  
Finally Mai managed to stutter weakly, "J...Joey?"  
  
Her voice seemed to bring him back to reality, and he shook his head to clear it. "Mai!" He trotted the rest of the way over to her. "Uh..." {Dammit, why can I never think of anything to say? Did I dash all the way here and run past security just to stand here like an idiot?!}  
  
Joey ceased his mental rant to regard Mai, and he blinked in dismay. She was watching him with an expression he had never seen her wear before, one of mingled relief and sorrow, and almost desperate in a way. Her eyes were watering.  
  
Mai's heart raced. She was flooded with a feeling she couldn't describe, and couldn't even tell if she liked or hated it. She had somehow managed to convince herself that she would never see Joey again, but now he was here, and had caught her by surprise. Her emotions ran wild in confusion, not sure how they should feel. In all the internal chaos, she forgot to hold up her emotional defenses. Every horrible feeling she had ever oppressed came crashing back to her, but this time she couldn't stop herself from crying.  
  
Mai looked away from Joey as tears flooded her vision, casting herself into an even greater state of bewilderment. She had never been unable to control herself before, unable to stop the pain. She must have appeared so weak, breaking into a fit at nothing other than his arrival.  
  
But there was nothing she could do. It was too late now. She was crying harder than she ever had, harder than when her parents had died, when she had been left so alone in the world at such a young age. She just wanted to die.  
  
But it all changed in an instant. The horrible thoughts that rang in her mind were immediately numbed by Joey's touch. He gingerly placed his hands on her shoulders, then all at once pulled her forward, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and clung to him. And even though she sobbed harder, she began to feel better. She felt as if a terrible weight she had been carrying all her life was finally being lifted.  
  
There she was, crying. Right there, in public. Where people could see her, judge her. But for the first time in her life she didn't care. For the first time in over a decade she was allowing herself to experience pain, and oddly enough it felt good.  
  
Joey didn't understand what was going on. All he had done was walk up to her and say her name, and she completely broke down on him. But when he saw her crying he knew he could not just stand there and watch, so he had done the only thing he knew to do. Now, as he stood there holding the quivering Mai, a wave of remorse swept over him. Sensing tears forming in his own eyes, he closed them slowly.  
  
"I'm sorry," he gently whispered in her ear, hearing his voice shake, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it. It didn't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you."  
  
"Awwwwwwwww!" One of the female bystanders apparently couldn't resist squealing at the scene unfolding before her, but neither Joey nor Mai seemed to notice or care that there were now quite a few people surrounding them.  
  
For a brief second, Mai could not understand why Joey was apologizing. What had he ever done but been more kind to her than anyone? Then her frazzled brain managed to recall the events leading up to that moment, and something occurred to her. {Poor Joey... Does he think this is all his fault?}  
  
"N-No, it's not... you haven't... I..." Mai wanted desperately to inform Joey that he had no part in causing her agony, but speaking proved to be too difficult. She choked painfully on every word, and so finally gave up.  
  
Then there was a moment of silence, one of those moments that lasts an eternity. Mai had finally calmed down enough to fully comprehend where she was and what was happening, and she realized how warm and safe she felt so close to Joey.  
  
"Um, e-excuse me sir."  
  
Without so much as loosening his embrace, Joey opened his eyes and turned his head to regard the baffled security guard that had addressed him. Joey wondered idly how long he had been standing there.  
  
"Er, this area is just for boarding the plane, and you need a ticket to board, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave..." The man looked almost guilty for making the request.  
  
Joey nodded and turned back to Mai, releasing his grip but keeping his hands on her shoulders. She had stopped crying and was wiping her eyes on her sleeve.  
  
"Uh, Mai?" Joey asked cautiously.  
  
"...Yeah?"  
  
"You... still going to America?"  
  
Mai laughed weakly. "No." Then she grinned almost mischievously. "Right now I just wanna go home."  
  
"...Uh, where's that?"  
  
"Wherever you're going."  
  
~~~  
  
My goodness, I must be tired if I ended it that cheesy. I'm gonna regret that in the morning. Anyway, so there you go. ^_^ What do you people think? Should I just say "The End" and be done with it, or continue the story, and possibly make something bad happen? You know, just to make things interesting.  
  
Even if you don't have an opinion, please review! ^_^ Remember, I take any kind!  
  
Er, and apparently Joey made it all the way to the gate without having to pass through a metal detector or anything. Eh-heh, I never said it was accurate. Maybe Domino Airport just has really horrible security. Work with me here. 


End file.
